Availability

Ranunculus are a great cut flower with delicate paper like blooms that are available in a range of interesting pastel colors.

Care and Handling

As the buds open, you may want to remove the pollen because it could stain your lily blooms or your clothes or table linens.

Avoid ethylene sources for lilly's. To prevent staining of your clothes and petals from the anthers remove them as the bloom opens. Handle carefully, as open flowers crease and break easily. The top bloom usually normally does not open.

If pollen stains occur on blooms, remove with a chenille (fuzzy) pipe cleaner. If pollen stains occur on clothing or material, remove with sticky tape (DO NOT APPLY WATER).

Lilies are sensitive to ethylene (which comes from fresh vegetables and fruits, especially bananas) which makes them open faster, but also age faster. Depending on your preference, place them away from or near fresh fruit and vegetables.

Grades

2 / 3 blooms 70 cm minimum

3 / 5 blooms 70 cm minimum

5 / 7 bloom 70 cm minimum

Asiatic Lilies are graded by number of blooms per stem.

Ranunculus are graded by stem length and bunched in 10 stem bunches.

When selecting lilly's look for straight stems that have tight buds, or buds that are cracked and showing a little color. The foliage should be dark green, glossy and unspotted.

Packing

Lilies are packed in 10 stem bunches and are plastic sleeved.

Ranunculus should be shipped with blooms showing good colour but not open.

Preparation

Keep the water in the vase of your lilly's fresh. Replace the water every 3 days with cold water. Re-cut 1/2" from the base of each stem under water using a sharp knife with each water change.

Remove all foliage below the water line and place in a clean container filled with cool water and, optionally, floral preservative. If you do not add floral preservative, change the water and re-cut the stems every day or so.

Remove any foliage that may become submerged after re-cutting to avoid bacterial growth. Add a commercial floral preservative such as AquaPlus or FloraLife to the vase that contains your lilies with each water change.

Quality

5 / 7 bloom 70 cm minimum

Vase Live

Lilly's vase life can be from 4-11 days depending on the care and handling.